Yesterday I asked the Taoiseach to publish the Goldman Sachs report on the future of Aer Lingus and I am glad the Government saw fit to publish it last night. It is evident from the report that the Government received clear warnings at the beginning of October about the loss of the management executive of Aer Lingus, and that this was a threat. The report stresses the importance of the current management team. At no point does it indicate that the management group was driven by greed or avarice. On page 5 the report states that investors will want to ensure that the senior management team is retained and motivated to perform, while on page 42 it states that retention of the management group is an important objective in the overall process. The report further states that in any situation it would be appropriate for the Department to involve management in any process.

The executive team led by Willie Walsh was sent into Aer Lingus with a very difficult brief and it played to win for Aer Lingus. The report does not state that the team was driven by greed or avarice. It was very difficult for the team to work with the company, the customers, the workers and the unions involved. There was a call for 1,300 redundancies and there were 1,600 applications. As the report pointed out, far from involving the management team, the Government has dithered over the future of Aer Lingus with the result that €200 million has been wiped off its market value, the executive team has gone and the company has been left in a state of suspended paralysis for the foreseeable future.

Will the Tánaiste accept that the Fianna Fáil wing of the Government has completely dominated this debate and has been unable to make a decision on the future of the company? Does the Tánaiste accept the warnings given clearly to the Government a few weeks ago in the Goldman Sachs report and that it is now clear that the Fianna Fáil element of the Government does not want to make a decision about Aer Lingus until after the next general election?

The socialist wing has taken over. The revolution is on.

It is clear from the report that Aer Lingus needs investment. The report urges private investment, a view I share. I do not accept that there has been a delay on the part of the Government. We received this report six weeks ago. Given the nature of the decision involved, it is natural that we should consider all the implications. The Government has indicated that it will make a decision before Christmas on an investment option for Aer Lingus. Under all the circumstances, that is satisfactory. As I said on other occasions, the turnaround in Aer Lingus has been incredible and great credit is due to all its workers who are ably led by a capable management team.

I do not accept the Tánaiste's assertion that the Government did not delay on this matter. On a radio programme last Sunday, the Tánaiste indicated that the Government reshuffle might have been the reason for the report not being examined by the Cabinet sub-committee of which she is a member. The Tánaiste also said on the radio programme that she understood that the report made a list of recommendations. When did the Tánaiste first read the report? Is the handling of this matter an indication that the Government is already tired and jaded and unable to make a decision on the future of Aer Lingus, a decision brought forward by an executive team which played to win for the company while the Government dithered to lose for the country?

Does the Tánaiste support the attack by the Taoiseach on the Aer Lingus executive team of Willie Walsh and his partners when this report points out that there was no indication of that team being driven by greed or avarice? Does the Tánaiste support that outburst by the Taoiseach?

A cheap, nasty, rotten shot.

Following the discussion at the Cabinet sub-committee on Monday, has it begun to form a view on what should be done with Aer Lingus now that the executive team has gone, the horse has bolted, €200 million has been wiped from the company's market value and it has been left in a state of suspended paralysis for the foreseeable future? What is the Tánaiste's party view within that sub-committee of what should now be done with Aer Lingus?

I do not accept that there were unnatural delays. I said that there had been a Cabinet reshuffle. Obviously the new Minister needed time to consider all the issues, and that is natural in circumstances of this kind.

My advisers and I had access to the report a couple of weeks ago, shortly after it was submitted to the Department of Transport. A consensus is emerging in the Cabinet sub-committee. That was clear to me at the meeting on Monday. The Minister for Transport will bring forward a memorandum to Government before Christmas so that the Government can make its decision. Clearly we must have a chairman and management team in place but the Government must also make its decision clear so that the uncertainty can be removed.

I admire the manner in which the company has been led by the management team and the board over the past few years. If one reflects on the debate in this House, there were many gloomy predictions on the opposite side of the House in September 2001 with regard to Aer Lingus. I am delighted to say that those prophets of doom did not see the gloom arise. They were confounded, as they will be on this occasion. Aer Lingus needs, and will get, equity so that it can expand its fleet and its services on behalf of all the people, grow employment in the airline and give us access to more new routes both for tourism and business.